


Three Musketeers

by Arsenic



Series: Discipline and Punish [46]
Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prison, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-27
Updated: 2007-11-27
Packaged: 2020-03-29 23:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19029775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/pseuds/Arsenic
Summary: Frank makes up his own holidays, even if he has to celebrate everyone else's.





	Three Musketeers

Every May, Frank celebrated Mikey Goes Free Day. It was a bittersweet holiday, for obvious reasons, but Frank was fairly certain that allowing himself to forget that it _was_ a reason to celebrate was also the path of fear, anger and the dark side of the force. Usually the celebration was kind of minimal. He would eat two of Mikey's candy bar gifts in a day and allow himself an hour of rifling through Gerard's pictures, which Bob had left with him. Or he would listen to Mikey's bands on the shuffle Gerard had transferred into his secret custody upon being released. Something simple, and meant to make him remember that Mikey being out meant that Mikey was waiting for him with chocolate flavored kisses.

In previous years, he could hang out with Gerard or Bob on Mikey Goes Free Day, and have them both know exactly what day it was, and assist in his half-assed self-party, mostly by being silent. Sometimes they shared his candy. Gerard had even shown up with a Three Musketeers for him once, and Frank had looked at him a little confusedly until Gerard said, "It was what you got him, that first time. When you came to check on him. I thought maybe they were your favorite."

In truth, that had just been what Frank could get his hands on at that moment, and Mikey had needed _anything_ with high fat content. He'd shared the bar with Gerard and made Gerard tell him a funny Mikey-as-a-kid story, which he knew would turn in to at least a half hour of Gerard regaling him with Great and Wonderful Tales of the Ways Woeful Adolescence. Gerard had the knack for making everything just a little more awesome than it probably was at the time, even if it had been pretty awesome to begin with--like Mikey.

Frank liked Zack, and he was grateful to him for making life easier for Frank, but Zack had no clue what day it was and Frank wasn't going to tell him. It wasn't that he thought Zack would give him shit, it was just that Frank didn't talk about this, not aloud, not even really in his letters and he had no idea how to start without the words becoming something bigger than him, something that he couldn't control, something that would destroy him. So he let Zack talk about the new model of bike Ducati was coming out with and how it just didn't have the engine power of a Hog, but the design maybe made up for that. And when Zack turned to him as he made his way slowly through the second candy bar and asked, "You okay? You're kinda...quiet, or something," Frank said, "Fine. Holidays always depress me."

Zack looked at him oddly but didn't ask. Frank appreciated the respect for his privacy.

 

*

_Frank,_

_I took a picture of Goody for you. It's her waiting for Mikey to get home. She always goes to the door at a certain time of day and just sits until he comes through the door. I sit with her a lot, so then it looks stupid, like I was waiting, too, but I just don't like watching her look all sad, like maybe he won't come. I worry on the nights when we're all out late, because she probably thinks we left. Gee says dogs don't have very long memories, so, on the one hand, when we come back, it's sort of like we didn't leave, but while we're not there? Maybe she can't remember that we'll come back. Maybe she thinks she's been left all alone. I don't like it._

_You know about Mikey? Like, the way you see him? ~~When did you first~~ I've always, I mean, even back to Katie in the third grade, I think. She had black hair and tiny hands, and that's what I like, is the soft parts and the pretty parts, ~~only I thought that meant girls but~~ Just, how did you figure it out? About Mikey?_

_Jon wants me to help with summer camp at the center, teaching photography. He actually wants that. No joke._

_Tommy_

 

*

_Tommy,_

_Teach the kiddies to take pictures of you. I need photographic evidence of this shit._

_When I looked at him. It was the first time for me, too. But, I mean, Mikey. I don't know, maybe ask him. It took him a long time, I think. But I'm not sure if that was because he was thinking, or because of what they did or because I'm Frank and not Mikey. He'd maybe tell you, I think. If you asked nicely._

_I bet Mizzy knows Mikey'll come home. I bet she does, even if she can't really remember._

_Frank_

 

*

_Frank,_

_Matt and Jon had a first date last night. Nobody will say how it went, but Jon totally fucking left me alone to finish up the summer camp mailings this afternoon and I'm pretty sure it was for some afternoon nookie. Or something. Anyway, he's been smiling a lot, so hopefully it's not some_ third _guy (or girl) that's snuck onto the scene and that Bob will have to order a Russian Mafia hit on. He's really intent on staying clean, killjoy._

_MG needs a mom. What'd you do, kill someone? Get out of there already._

_Geeway_

 

*

_Gee,_

_You're so not as funny as you think you are._

_Frank_

 

*

Frank _hated_ Mother's Day. He hadn't always, in fact, until prison it had mostly been one of those days that he had, had, _had_ to remember to highlight on his new calendars in January, or he'd forget and then feel like an awful son. There was nothing, though, that sucked more, than having his mom have to visit him on that day while he was behind glass. In a way it was better, now that Frank could at least have Mikey give her the present Frank had had him buy face to face. In a way it was worse, because as much as Mikey was Mikey and his and _Mikey_ , Frank's mom was his mom, and there really wasn't anything that could substitute for him giving the gift to her. He didn't want there to be anything.

She sat down and said, "Thanks for my slippers. Mikey got ones with dogs on them."

"Figures."

"They're cute. I like them."

"Had the soles come off your old ones, yet?" Frank asked.

"Oh, hush. This from the child who wore pants that could walk by themselves from filth and shirts that were only hanging together by the sheer will to live."

"I'm a boy," Frank explained.

"Whatever." Linda rolled her eyes. She looked of to the side and said, "I went to confession last week."

"Yeah?" Frank asked softly. His mom was a believer, inasmuch as she could be, seeing the world around her, but she wasn't much of one for ceremony or ritual. She was Catholic by birth and right less than practice.

"I just-- You know me. There are sins and then there are sins, and even those, I think there are ways of repenting, if you want it badly enough. But-- I said. I said I didn't care that he was dead, that he deserved to be dead, and I didn't give a fuck, I wanted my baby back." She looked at him then, her eyes burning with truth. Frank wondered what she would say if she knew some of the things he had done in here, knew the sounds a person made while burning alive, the sounds Mikey made in shock and pain and betrayal.

"Two hundred and twelve days," Frank told her.

She swallowed and he could see all her words go down her throat, safe where she thought they couldn't hurt him. She said, "Yeah. Yeah. That's all."

 

*

_Frank,_

_I'm training MG to bark at anything that looks at Mikey the wrong way. She's pretty smart._

_Gabe says Matt is happy and offered me a year off my parole for whatever part I had in Operation: Jon + Matt 4eva! I denied that it was called that, but I think Vicky might have ratted me out. Then I told him I was pretty sure he didn't have that authority. He didn't argue with me there, but he did say that if I needed anything, so I might have asked for him to see if he could get you put on his roster next January. He's strange but he means well, so I thought that was a good bargain._

_Mikey's doing pretty well at the driving. He still gets a little distracted, but we're working out the kinks. Gee's almost got it down, he just gets kind of ahead of himself with the gas. Nothing I hadn't planned for._

_Bob_

 

*

_Bob,_

_Does Mikey pay more attention when Gee's in the car? Sometimes you have to motivate him to be careful. He gets a little lazy when it's just him, sometimes. ~~Or a little~~ So maybe just until it becomes instinctive?_

_Just make sure Mizzy doesn't kill anyone. Mikey'd be pretty crushed if you guys had to put her down. Also, none of you need to be back in here._

_You got me your crazy parole officer as a springtime gift? Aw, you shouldn't have._

_Frank_

 

*

_Frank,_

_I took Mizzy and spent a couple of nights with your mom after Mother's Day. She seemed a little down, but she wouldn't talk about it. I don't suppose she said anything to you? Anyway, I guess it's not really my place to ask, she just--I got her poppies and baby's breath and she just sat and smelled them for a while. Gee's been drawing her pictures, fun stuff, like the kids helping with the recycling drive on earth day, or Tommy trying to teach Mizzy to catch a frisbee (she sucks), or Bob and Vicky having gossip sessions under the hood of a car. We'll take care of her, I promise. Please don't worry. Only 205 days._

_As it turns out, Matt's favorite candy is dark chocolate with chilies in it, which is, of course, expensive if you don't just know how to make it. But it's okay, because I talked with Alex and made a deal to help him with Tommy if he'd find a recipe and help us out. He's on it. And I'm on hoping that Tommy isn't as straight as he thinks he is. You think maybe I should have promised something a little more reliable?_

_It's getting warm again. You'll be wearing t-shirts soon and if I were there, I could see the ink on your arms. Brian's and Matt's and Pete's just aren't the same._

_Mikeyway_

 

*

_Mikeyway,_

_Mostly she just needs me not to have murdered someone, is all. You say you're taking care of her; she'll be fine. By the time you get his letter, it will be 198 days. That's less than 200. Stare in awe at my mathematical prowess._

_Where's Matt from? The Land of Wierd Ass Candy? Seriously. I wouldn't worry too much about Tommy. He's curious, if nothing else, although, I don't know if it's about this Alex guy. For your sake, I hope so. He cooks, so that should make the process easier. Is he pretty? Tommy evidently likes pretty. Just so we're clear? That was way more than I ever needed to know. He's like a little brother. If I had pierced my little brother's tongue and occasionally roughed him up a bit. Still, there are just things you don't want to hear, you know?_

_Do Bob and Vicky really gossip under the hoods of cars? That might be something I have to see to believe. And about what? Gee? Greta? (Oh, and I want a picture of Greta and Vicky, please. I've only ever seen them separately. I'm going to need one of Matt and Jon, probably, too. And maybe Alex and Tommy? Just so I can see what I'm helping here?)_

_~~Summer is coming and if I weren't here I could see miles and miles of Mikeyway. Nothing is the same. Nothing.~~ _

_Rub Mizzy's tummy for me._

_Frank_


End file.
